Page 114 of Just a Little White Lie

JACK

Ican’t believe this. She’s beat up and lying on the couch with a freaking black eye, and she wants to let Maverick get off scot-free! I could maim that little jerk right now. I can’t believe he did that to her.

He lost his temper, and she’s the one who gets hurt.

My anger is barely ropable. I want to pummel something. But I won’t because I’m not some punk sixteen-year-old who can’t control his tempter!

Snatching my pillow off the bed, I heft it at the wall. It hits with a soft thwack before dropping to the carpet.

Why?

Why is she standing up for him?

I can’t believe how much her words riled me.

The entire argument went from bad to worse.

Not only will she refuse to see reason, but she’s now going to lie about it too.

And she doesn’t need me anymore.

She doesn’t even want me at Dance-Mania.

I thump my fist against my chest, trying to ward off that horrible sensation running through me.

She doesn’t want me there.

She doesn’t need me anymore.

My heart is writhing.

Not just over that, but also the fact that she’s been hurt, and I wasn’t there to stop it. I would have grabbed Maverick by the collar and told him to calm the hell down. I want justice for my woman! I want her to be mad too. Flash a little rage Maverick’s way. Careless idiot. He elbowed her in the face! He might not have meant to do it, but the fact that he lost his temper, yet again, meant he put her in his line of fire.

She shouldn’t be standing up for him.

I want her to at least be mildly indignant that he lost his cool, but oh no! She goes and puts the blame on herself and then gets pissed off with me for trying to stand up for her.

It’s not right.

Maverick better have some consequences. I will be marching down to the school and demanding action if he doesn’t at least miss out on something because of what he’s done.

Yeah, and then Lauren will never speak to you again.

I growl and flop onto my bed.

Not meddling is harder than it sounds. I want to protect her from that kid, but she wants to risk everything and take him to that competition.

Without me.

I close my eyes, tipping my head back and trying to take in a full breath.

I should walk back out there and make things right. Tell her I’m sorry. That I want to be there to support her.

But do I really?

Would I honestly be able to stand around at Dance-Mania and not tell Maverick exactly what I thought of him?

Lauren would no doubt stand up for the kid, and I’d be left to look like the bad guy when I haven’t done anything wrong!

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